Jack M. Eckerd, philanthropist and founder of the drugstore chain that bears his name, died May 19 at age 91.
Eckerd started Jack Eckerd Corp. in Clearwater in 1952 with just three stores. By 1959, he had expanded to five stores and formed a partnership with Publix Super Markets. The company went public in 1961 and doubled in size every year until 1977. By the time the partnership dissolved, he had expanded to 150 stores, mainly in strip malls, and the company's sales had hit $5 billion a year.
While growing his business, Eckerd also tried his hand at politics, running for governor twice and for a U.S. Senate seat. He lost all three races but later served under President Gerald Ford, running the U.S. General Services Administration.
As a philanthropist, Eckerd donated $10 million to Florida Presbyterian College in St. Petersburg in the early '70s, which was later renamed Eckerd College.
Eckerd also founded Eckerd Youth Alternatives in 1968, a non-profit group that helps at-risk children. The organization now has 18 wilderness camps in seven states and has helped more than 50,000 children.
Eckerd enjoyed sailing and won the Nassau Cup trophy in 1967 aboard his 52-foot yawl Panacea.
Eckerd resigned as CEO of his drugstore chain in 1986. In 1997, J.C. Penney Co. bought the company and in April sold the almost 3,000-store chain to CVS Corp. and Jean Coutu Group for about $4.5 billion.
Eckerd suffered a stroke five years ago. He died after catching pneumonia.